Bubba Watson had never seen Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, much less the revamped Pinehurst No. 2 Course, until arriving Sunday for the U.S. Open.

His first impression? Looks a little like Tanglewood in Milton. Yes, the course he grew up playing and the same one that helped shape golf development of fellow Milton High graduates Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum in their path to PGA Tour careers.

"A lot of pine trees, sand everywhere," said Watson, who has ascended to the No. 3 ranked player in World Golf Rankings, during his pre-tournament news conference Tuesday at the U.S. Open.

The fabled No. 2 at Pinehurst, which opened in 1907, was redesigned in 2010 to make it look like its original Donald Ross layout of yesteryear. The new look is with "natural areas" which have replaced traditional U.S. Open courses and their ankle high rough.

"We don't call it natural area... we call it... not very good conditions where I grew up," said Watson, eliciting laughter Tuesday in his media session. "So I'm used to hitting out of sand and hard pan with... again.... we call it weeds where I grew up.

"So playing out of that stuff, I'm used to that. So when I'm in there I'm actually comfortable, I've grown up playing golf that way."

The same experience applies for Weekley, who is in the field with Watson. The duo gives Milton High a connection with the U.S. Open for the seventh time in the past eight years.

In 2007, Watson tied for fifth at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh. Weekley finished tied for 26th that year. It was the best combined performance of both players at the U.S. Open. It was the only time the duo made the cut at the same U.S. Open.

For Watson, the performance was his introduction to the golf world and flashed the potential he has realized.

"When you think back in 2007, getting to call my dad when I finished fifth. ... Knowing I get to play Augusta (playing at the Masters) for the first time, it was something I'll always remember," Watson said.

"The U.S. Open is always that ... I got to call my dad on Father's Day that we're going to the Masters."

He enters this week as one of the biggest stories in golf, after winning the Masters, along with an earlier PGA Tour win at Riveria in Los Angeles, along with four other top three finishes.

He finished tied for third after being in the lead last week at the Memorial Tournament.

It is the third time in the past 15 years the U.S. Open is being staged at Pinehurst. In 1999, the tournament was won by Payne Stewart, who Watson idolized and emulated in wearing Stewart's attire (knickers, derby hat) as a junior golfer in Pensacola.

This time, Pinehurst has the distinction of being the only course in golf history to host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open (June 19-22) in the same year, a week apart.

"A U.S. Open brings out challenges that we're not used to, challenges that we can only take once a year or we would all find new jobs if we had to do it every week," Watson said.

For Weekley, he's hoping to duplicate the form that led to contention at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, where he finished tied for fifth. He has made the cut in five of his last six tournaments.

When playing the Byron Nelson tournament, Weekley revealed he switched from graphite shafted clubs to traditional steel shafts.

"I've been playing graphites for the last three years, four years, and I've been having a few shoulder problems, elbow problems, and pain problems,, so I went back to steel shafts," Weekley said during the tournament. "Started hitting it a lot better, and actually putted the ball well (earlier) this year."

As two-time Masters champion, Watson will play the U.S. Open seeking to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win the year's first two majors.

"Any time you have that chance, it's been a good year, because that means you've done well early," Watson said.

Only six players have won the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. Before Woods, nobody had done it since Jack Nicklaus in 1972.

Watson, who leads all PGA Tour players with an average driving distance of 314 yards, said Tuesday he's backing off using his driver as much this week.

"Length is an advantage if you can hit fairways, but not too many guys are hitting it 330 and hitting every fairway," Watson said. "So it's about hitting fairways. I say hit fairways and the just go with a longer shot into these tough greens.

"Not saying it's the right strategy, hopefully in four days I can tell you it was a great strategy."